Pheu Thai moves to prevent Senate from nominating PM

The NationMay 16, 2014 1:00 am

Acting Senate Speaker Surachai Liengboonlertchai meets with presidents and lecturers from various universities at the National Institute of Development Administration. Separately at Parliament, a group of 50 senators led by Lamphun Senator Tree Dampaiboon

The Pheu Thai Party will today file a petition with the Office of the Attorney-General in a move to prevent newly elected acting Senate Speaker Surachai Liengboonlertchai from any attempt to nominate a PM under Article 7 of the charter, a proposal of the People's Democratic Reform Committee.

Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said Surachai held a consultative meeting of the Senate and claimed that the majority wants an interim government. He said that Surachai and a group of 40 Senators were trying to push for an appointment of a PM under Article 7 even though they have no authority and legitimacy to do so. Their action could be in violation of Article 113 of the Criminal Code, he claimed.

He said the party would take recourse to Article 68 of the Constitution to petition the Attorney-General to look into the matter and stop Surachai from carrying out his proposal.

The party may later file a petition with the Constitutional Court against Surachai on the same matter.

Chusak Sirinil, Pheu Thai legal specialist, and the party's legal team issued a statement warning against any attempts by the Senate to nominate a PM.

The statement said that Articles 171 and 172 stipulate that the House Speaker is empowered to countersign the royal endorsement of a PM and not the Senate Speaker.

It went on to say that any attempt to nominate a PM after the House of Representatives is dissolved violates Article 68 of the Constitution. The statement also said that the Senate and Senate Speaker must shoulder the consequences if people rise to oppose the move and engage in civil strife.

Separately, Norarut Pimsen, secretary-general of the Senate, said yesterday that she had submitted the names of Surachai and Uttaradit Senator Pirasak Porjit for the Office of the Cabinet's Secretariat to submit for royal endorsement as the Senate speaker and deputy Senate speaker respectively.